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Moncrief, Marvin Delph of Conway, Arkansas, and Ron Brewer of Fort Smith, Arkansas ("The Triplets"), along with head coach Eddie Sutton and assistant coach Gene Keady, resurrected the University of Arkansas basketball program in the 1970s from decades of modest success and disinterest, and helped lay the foundation for what became one of the country's premier college basketball programs through the mid-1990s. The Triplets led the Razorbacks to the SWC championship, and a Final Four appearance in 1978. Moncrief's leadership on the court and electrifying play renewed interest in the Razorback program, and ushered in the winning tradition in the Arkansas basketball program. His jersey was retired not long after he graduated from school and went on to the NBA, and is one of only two, along with Corliss Williamson. Moncrief was the school's all-time leading scorer until Todd Day broke his record in 1992. On Nov. 10, 2014 Moncrief was inducted into the Southwest ConferenceHall of Fame.[2] On Feb 7, 2015 Moncrief was honored by Arkansas when his name was put on a banner that was hung in Bud Walton Arena.[3]

During the 1980s, Moncrief was the leader of the Milwaukee Bucks, who had the third best winning percentage for the decade behind only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Moncrief was known for his versatility on the court, particularly given his 6′3″ stature, but was most known for his tenacious defensive plays. Although he was thought of as one of the greatest shooting guards of his time, he was never able to get to the Finals, as the Bucks frequently came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals. Moncrief was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 1982–83 and 1983–84 seasons. He also made the All-Star team for five consecutive years and was named to the All-NBA first team for the 1982–83 season. Moncrief averaged over 20 points per game in four seasons of his career and finished his 11-season NBA career with an average of 15.6 PPG. Moncrief still holds the Bucks records for career free throws (3505) and career free throw attempts (4214), as well as career offensive rating (119.7).

Among Moncrief's admirers was All-StarMichael Jordan who once described his on-court intensity to an L.A. Times reporter: "When you play against Moncrief, you're in for a night of all-around basketball. He'll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court. You just expect it."[7]

^Pearlman, Jeff (March 13, 2014). "The 'Magic' Coin Flip (Book Excerpt)". ESPN. 'West wanted Moncrief, and he made it very clear to Jack Kent Cooke,' said Rich Levin, who covered the team for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. 'There was a strong belief, for a brief time at least, that Moncrief, not Magic, would wind up a Laker.'